San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) shoots in the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images
Miles Simon, who led the Wildcats to the 1997 national championship, and Quinton Crawford were assistant coaches for the Lakers during their run to the “bubble” championship in 2020.
Between players, coaches and broadcasters, the Wildcats have been well-represented in the NBA Finals over the years. Here’s a look at every ex-Wildcat who has won an NBA championship:
Jud Buechler
Number of championships: 3
Team: Chicago Bulls (1996-98)
What he did: Buechler was a reserve forward during the second three-peat of the Michael Jordan era in Chicago.
Steve Kerr
Number of championships: 5
Teams: Chicago Bulls (1996-98), San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003)
What he did: Kerr etched his name in NBA Finals lore in the 1997 Finals, knocking down a midrange shot at the top of the key to beat the Utah Jazz and seal the second title of Chicago’s second three-peat in the 1990s.
Joked Kerr, to thousands of fans in Chicago during the Bulls’ championship celebration: “When we called timeout with 25 seconds to go, we went into the huddle and Phil (Jackson) told Michael, ‘Michael, I want you to take the last shot.’ Michael told Phil, ‘You know, Phil, I don’t really feel comfortable in these situations, so maybe we ought to go in another direction. Why don’t we go to Steve?’ So I thought to myself, ‘Well, I guess I gotta bail Michael out again.’ The shot went in, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
After his time with the Bulls, Kerr was a reserve guard for the Spurs under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. Kerr has nine total NBA championships — four as head coach of the Warriors.